Polishing machine fixture



March 28, 1939. J. H. GOULD POL-ISHING MACHINE FIXTURE Filed March 25, 1958' Patented Mar. 28, 1939 y POLISHING MACHINE FHXTURE .lay H. Gould, Detroit, Mich., assigner, by mesne assignments, to Houdaille-Hershey Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application March 25, 1938, Serial No. 198,066

3 Claims. (Cl. 51-76) My invention relates to the polishing art, parare interposed between the soit rubber cushions ticularly the polishing of objects such as impact and the plates il and l2, the sheets being vulbars for bumper structures for automotive vehicanized to the cushions and to the plates so that cles. In polishing machines for this work the the resilient cushions are thus secured to the r3 bumper bars to be polished are supported; on a plates. A 5 belt or other suitable conveyer to be carried The units are shown secured to the conveyor through the elds of polishing wheels, the bars lil along their transverse median line as by bolts being mounted to be carried longitudinally in eni5, and a pad It of metal or other suitable magagement with the polishing wheels. Sometimes terial may be interposed between each unit and l the bumper impact bars have slight twist or the conveyer. l0 edge warp or other condition which may prevent On the base structure of each unit is a top their proper and accurate application to the polstructure for engagement by the bars to vbe polishing wheel for accurate and uniform polishing ished. The top structure shown comprises a thereof unless the bars may readily adjust themn channel frame il' having its web secured to the selves for proper application to the polishing upper plate il of the base structure as by means l5 wheels throughout their extent. of bolts i8, the side flanges lil oi the channel The object of this invention is, therefore, to frame extending upwardly along the longitudipro-vide improved support units or fixtures which nal peripheral portion of the plate ll. Seated may be mounted on the conveyer to be spanned in the channel frame between the flanges thereby the bars to be polished and which fixtures or of, is a table 20 in the form of a flat plate or 20 supports are flexible or yieldable to permit the bar which extends longitudinally the full length bars to move sideways and sway from one side of the channel frame and which is deflected into the other* so that any slight twist, edge warp, termediate its ends as indicated at 2l to pro-vide or other irregularity may be properly applied to the high end portion 22 and the lower end por- 25 the polishing wheels. To this end, the fixtures tion 23, the higher portion 22 being above the 25 or supports are preferably mounted on soft rublplane of the upper edges of the channel flanges ber blocks or cushions which will make the flxi9 and the lower portion 23 being below this tures readily yieldable both vertically md laterplane, the outer end 2e of the higher portion ally so that the bars may be accurately applied being deflected downwardly and the outer end throughout their extent to the polishing wheels. 25 of the lower portion 23 being deflected down- 30 An efficient embodiment of my invention is wardly, these deflected ends forming legs for ensho-wn on the drawing, in which drawing: gaging the web of the channel frame. The table Figure l is a side elevation of a conveyor struc structure may be held against longitudinal disture with my improved supporting units or fixplacement on the channel frame as by being tures thereon and bars to be polished supported welded thereto, or by having one end, such as 35 thereon; the end 25 formed to extend into a recess or slot Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation, partly 26 in the channel frame web. The tables 2 in section, of one of the units; and receive the ends oi the bars B to be polished, the Figure 3 is an enlarged crossesection of the advance ends of the bars resting on the lower yieldable supporting frame for the units. decks 23 of the respective tables while the trail- 40 On the drawing, i0 represents mo-re or less ing ends of the bars rest on the higher decks diagrammatically a belt or other conveyer travof the respective tables. Above the conveyer l eling in the direction of the arrow. On this conare the polishing wheels W in engagement with veyer are mounted the supporting units or flxwhich the bars B are brought as the conveyor tures U at properly spaced intervals to be travels. To hold the bars against longitudinal spanned by the objects to be polished, as for displacement under the polishing engagements example automobile bumper impact bars B. of the polishing wheels, the upper decks 22 of Each o1" the units shown has a, resilient and yieldthe table structure may have suitable abutable base structure comprising upper and lower ments for the bar ends. As shown, slots 2l may 5() plates il and E2, preferably of metal such as be provided in the upper decks 22 of the tables 50 steel, with blocks o-r cushions i3 of resilient mafor receiving the trailing ends of the bars, the terial such as soft rubber interposed between advancing ends of the bars resting on the lower the plates and extending along the longitudinal decks 23 of the tables bet'feenihe flanges I9 edge portions of the plates as clearly shown in oi the channel structures. The advancing ends 5 Fig. 3. Preferably sheets i4 of denser rubber of the bars may shift longitudinally on 't e lower u decks as the bars are deiiected vertically under pressure of the polishing wheels. The soft rubber cushions I3 will also yield under such vertical pressure on the bars and thereby eliminate undue strain on the polishing wheels. Furthermore, the soft rubber cushions will permit lateral or tilting movement of the upper plate Il of the unit base structure and of the bar supporting table structure mounted thereon so that the bars B may tilt or move sideways or sway from one side to the other in order that any portions of the bars in the form of slight twists or warp or other irregularities may be properly presented' to the polishing rolls for eflicient and uniform polishing of the bars.

Table structures 2'0 of different shapes may be applied to the unit depending upon the shape and configuration of the bars or other structures to be polished. By means o-f the resilient and yieldable fixture or supporting structure uniform and accurate polishing will result without strain on the conveyer or the polishing wheel structure, and the bars to be polished can be quickly applied to the units for the successive travel thereof through the polishing fields.

I have shown a practical embodiment of my invention but I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction, arrangement and operation shown and described, as changes and modications may be made which will still come within the scope of the invention.

I claim as follows:

1. Fixture units to be secured upon the conveyor of a polishing machine and to be spanned by objects to be polished, each unit comprising a lower part to be secured to the conveyor, an upper part for securing the object to be applied to the polishing elements of the polishing machine, and a resilient connection between the upper and lower parts in the form of pillars of sponge rubber secured only at their ends to said parts with their intermediate portions free to distort whereby said upper part may move freely laterally in all directions toaccurately apply the objects thereon to the polishing elements.

2. Polishing fixtures for application to the conveyor of a polishing machine and to be spanned by bars to be polished, each xture comprising a lower part adapted to be secured to the conveyor, an upper part forming a table on which the bars to be polished are supported to be carried for application to the polishing elements of the polishing machine, and blocks of resilient rubber between and secured only at their upper and lower ends to said parts with their intermediate portions free to distort whereby said table part may freely follow all lateral movement of the bars during their longitudinal travel in engagement with the polishing elements.

3. A supporting unit for polishing machines comprising a lower part adapted to be secured to the conveyor of a polishing machine, and an upper part for securing an object to be carried by the conveyor for application to the polishing elements .of the polishing machine, and a cushion of material having the characteristics of sponge rubber between said parts, said cushion being secured only at its upper and lower ends to said parts with its intermediate portion free to distort whereby said upper part may freely follow any sidewise movement of the object thereon while the object is being carried by the conveyor into application with the polishing elements so that any slight twist, edge warp, or other irregularity in the object may be properly applied to the polishing elements.

JAY H. GOULD. 

